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Ex-MP Mark Oaten criticises successors for attacks on Nick Clegg

FORMER Winchester MP Mark Oaten has criticised his successors for their attack on Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg.

Mr Oaten said Martin Tod and Jackie Porter were disloyal. Both have called on Mr Clegg to stand down after the poor results from the European and local government elections.

He said: “I totally disagree with Martin and Jackie calling for Nick to resign. I am sorry that they have both chosen to be disloyal to their leader in this way. These were very tough elections but Nick did the right thing to take on UKIP and to stand up for both the Coalition and our pro-European views.

“Sometimes in politics you must stick to what you believe in even if it’s unpopular. And sometimes as local candidates you should back your leader during the tough times."

Mr Tod was the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate in 2010. Ms Porter has been chosen to fight the seat in 2015.

Comments

OntheBoundary
12:32pm Tue 27 May 14

It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.

It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.OntheBoundary

It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.

Score: 1

raised eyebrows
3:53pm Tue 27 May 14

3 reasons to vote lib dem

tuition fees
trident
not being the tories

oh

maybe being loyal to key policy commitments would keep a loyal vote base?

maybe being loyal to key policy commitments would keep a loyal vote base?

Score: 1

Yves1977
1:38pm Tue 27 May 14

OntheBoundary wrote…

It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.

The electorate have a habit of disliking divided parties. Whether Clegg or Cable is leader the fact remains that the Lib Dems chose to join a Coalition, thus cease to be a party of protest and so lost a large chunk of their following.

[quote][p][bold]OntheBoundary[/bold] wrote:
It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.[/p][/quote]The electorate have a habit of disliking divided parties. Whether Clegg or Cable is leader the fact remains that the Lib Dems chose to join a Coalition, thus cease to be a party of protest and so lost a large chunk of their following.Yves1977

OntheBoundary wrote…

It's not a question of being loyal to Nick or not. It's a question of what gives us the best chance of not evaporating as a party at national and local level next year. Given where we are now Nick is not the right person to lead us forward. Mark Oaten is a fine one to talk. He didn't exactly help hold Winchester for the LibDems.

The electorate have a habit of disliking divided parties. Whether Clegg or Cable is leader the fact remains that the Lib Dems chose to join a Coalition, thus cease to be a party of protest and so lost a large chunk of their following.

Score: 2

PimpMyHyde
6:09pm Tue 27 May 14

Well this is a turn-up for the books. So let me get this straight, the last MP (top man actually) and Paddy Ashdown (their former leader) say Nick Clegg should stay and Martin Tod and Jackie Potter (two district councillors) think they know better. If Nick goes, then we’d end up with Cable as Deputy PM and the Lib Dem leader and he’s the one who did the tuition fees thing for the Lib Dems in government. What a mess!

Well this is a turn-up for the books. So let me get this straight, the last MP (top man actually) and Paddy Ashdown (their former leader) say Nick Clegg should stay and Martin Tod and Jackie Potter (two district councillors) think they know better. If Nick goes, then we’d end up with Cable as Deputy PM and the Lib Dem leader and he’s the one who did the tuition fees thing for the Lib Dems in government. What a mess!PimpMyHyde

Well this is a turn-up for the books. So let me get this straight, the last MP (top man actually) and Paddy Ashdown (their former leader) say Nick Clegg should stay and Martin Tod and Jackie Potter (two district councillors) think they know better. If Nick goes, then we’d end up with Cable as Deputy PM and the Lib Dem leader and he’s the one who did the tuition fees thing for the Lib Dems in government. What a mess!

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